Yesterday we landed in Copenhagen to start our culinary tour of Denmark and immediately dug into the country’s mains and sides. Boy, oh boy! Do they love their pork! Today, we’ll visit a typical Danish bakery and delve into the Danish tradition of home baking…
Rundsztyyker: Danish Breakfast Buns – Great nosh quenchers anytime, stuffed with anything!
Bread is an integral part of Danish life: witness their signature Smørrebørd tradition! There’s nothing (apparently) that’s edible that Danes won’t slap on a generously buttered slice of Rye. But there’s much more.
According to Danes and their Bread, “Danes love to bake and many actually bake not only cakes but also their own bread. […] Sales of yeast and flour keep growing, and every year more recipe books are published and baking classes offered. With many different kinds of good quality flour available in the supermarkets, there is money to be saved if you make your own bread. […] In a survey carried out by the Danish supermarket cooperative COOP in 2013, one third responded that they bake at least once every two weeks and only a fifth never bake. Women bake more often than men, who, when they bake, more often use bread mix. Families with children bake more often than adults without children.”
“When asked why they bake at home, the reply is that it is fun and hyggeligt (‘joy in the moment’) to bake, and that the home baked bread and buns taste better than the bread you buy. For some, the cost of bread is also a reason as it is cheaper to bake your own bread.”
On our menu today
Rugbrøt: Classic Danish Rye Bread. Dark, dense, studded with cracked and whole Rye kernels; this is the Danish version of the Pumpernickel that is found in all Central European pantries.
Classic Rugbrøt is a sourdough loaf that traditionally takes several days to make (mostly fermenting). But I’ve found a highly-rated recipe that cuts fermentation time to about 24 hours. It’s the prescribed base for the Smørrebørd and a good, filling, nutritious mouthful any time you feel hungry. Don’t forget the butter!
Danish Sandwich Bread: A lighter loaf with a fine crumb for slicing. This recipe uses a small mount of Rye flour and a relatively large amount of White bread flour.
It employs conventional yeast leavening and is enriched with milk, butter and caraway or cumin. Bakes for a long time (40 minutes or so) in a 1 lb. loaf pan.
: Danish Breakfast Buns. Actually, anytime buns. Grabbed on a moment’s notice for snacks, appetizers and sandwiches. It’s a pretty basic yeast-raised dough using milk rather than water. Make the buns smallish (smaller than your standard Hamburger Bun) to keep it traditional. But you can make Hamburger buns with this dough if you want. Just be sure to brush with egg glaze, cut a cross in the top, and sprinkle with Poppy seeds before baking!
Franskbrød: ‘French’ Bread. But not a baguette or anything like other French breads you’re familiar with. It’s a fine-crumbed, bright-white bread with a soft, flexible crust. Enriched with milk, sugar and butter.
Glazed on all sides with an egg wash. Your every-day, ‘peoples’ bread’, filling the same role as North America’s ubiquitous white sliced loaf. Some recipes even mention that it’s not as nutritious as other Danish breads – especially the whole grain ones. Danes are nutrition-conscious by nature.
Fuldkornsbrød: Similar to Franksbrød, but made with whole grain flours and cracked or whole-kernel grains. There are many versions, using different grains and grain blends. Fills the role that whole Wheat and other Whole Grain breads play in the North American diet.
Prepare to hit your sweet spot!
But that’s just a bare half (maybe less) of the stuff you’ll see when you walk into a genui9ne Danish Bakeshop! Tune in again tomorrow for the straight-up real lowdown on ‘Danish’ Pastries and a collection of other delectable Danish desserts and sweets!
~ Maggie J.